Focus on North Asia 2024 is a structured trade event and familiarisation program that brings 55 – 60 key travel buyers (wholesalers, retail agents and online travel agencies) from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea to NSW to showcase Sydney and NSW products and destinations through a two-day appointment-based B2B workshop, a networking gala dinner event and a familiarisation program in Sydney and regional NSW.
Tourism suppliers from NSW are invited to apply to attend the Focus on North Asia 2024 Workshop held in Sydney on Thursday, 14 November and Friday, 15 November 2024, to meet and connect with travel buyers from these source markets.
Combined market overview
The North Asia markets, comprising China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, represent a significant contribution to international tourism for NSW. Combined, these source markets are responsible for 21% of international visitors, 25% of international visitor nights and 38% of international visitor expenditure in NSW.
China
Visitors: 377,000
Expenditure: $3.2 billion
South Korea
Visitors: 246,000
Expenditure: $734 million
Hong Kong
Visitors: 94,000
Expenditure: $307 million
Taiwan
Visitors: 71,000
Expenditure: $230 million
Event objectives
The objective of the event is to grow overnight visitor expenditure for NSW by:
- Increasing destination and product awareness
- Growing business and contracting opportunities for NSW tourism suppliers with key travel buyers, who play a crucial role in product development, in North Asia
- Strengthening and establishing travel industry relationships with North Asian travel buyers
- Showcasing NSW visitor experiences, cities, regions, and events to key travel buyers.
Focus on North Asia 2024 New Market Product Pathway
The Focus on North Asia 2024 New Market Product Pathway offers NSW sellers subsidised access to Focus on North Asia 2024. This initiative supports businesses that are newly export-ready or new to the North Asia markets (China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea), enabling first time participation in a trade event targeted at these markets. The aim of supporting NSW businesses to attend Focus on North Asia 2024 through a subsidy is to ensure a solid foundation in international distribution from which they can continue to build.
Learn more here.
Event information
The mandatory requirements for seller tourism suppliers are as follows:
- Must be an Australian registered company paying applicable taxes in Australia.
- Must have public liability insurance to a minimum coverage of AUD$20,000,000 per occurrence.
- Must be a tourism product (accommodation, visitor attraction, tour/activity provider, or tourism transport) or a Destination Marketing Organisation (DMO) or company representing a range of tourism product.
- Availability of relevant net rates for your product(s) or service.
- The ability of your product to be booked and commission paid at the appropriate industry levels, relevant to the distribution system employed.
- Unless you are applying for the Focus on North Asia 2024 New Market Product Pathway, which has its own eligibility criteria here, evidence of your product(s) or service as internationally active in the North Asia markets, which may include one or more of the following in the past three years:
a) Attendance at one or more trade event(s) held in Australia or overseas.
b) Involvement with the Destination NSW Trade Famil Program.
c) Demonstrated international marketing and promotional activities, including advertising in trade/consumer promotions.
d) Marketing product collateral relevant to one or more of the North Asia markets (brochure, factsheet, online content).
e) Distribution via an Inbound Tour Operator (ITO) or international wholesale program. - Tourism suppliers representing destinations other than NSW will be requested not to promote those products or services.
- Tourism suppliers must be represented by an Australian-based representative.
- Must have an up-to-date, live listing on sydney.com or visitnsw.com.
- Must have no outstanding debts with Destination NSW.
- Must ensure receipt of requested materials and payment by deadline dates.
With a maximum of 30 places available, preference will be given to NSW tourism suppliers who most closely meet the selection criteria. In response to market demand, new tourism suppliers who are export-ready are strongly encouraged to apply. Each applicant must demonstrate how they meet the criteria in their application.
Up to 10 of the 30 seller places will be available for eligible New Market Product Pathway applicants, which will receive a subsidy to participate.
In order to showcase the depth and diversity of tourism products and to maintain and stimulate interest in the destination, Destination NSW reserves the right to determine final participation.
If the number of companies meeting the selection criteria exceeds supply for the event, Destination NSW has the right to apply a 'first come, first served' limit based on the date an application is submitted prior to the deadline for registration.
Participation cost for a tourism supplier is $2200 AUD (including GST) per person.
Successful applicants will be offered the following:
- Attendance at the full two-day workshop
- Attendance at the dinner networking function
- Workshop meeting schedule
- Event briefing prior to the event including market intelligence
- Complimentary access to the ATEC China Host and Korea Host training modulea
- Inclusion in the Directory of Sellers which is provided to all buyers
- A soft copy version of the Directory of Buyers including contact details
- Meals as indicated in the program: Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea on workshop days 14 and 15 November, plus gala dinner on 14th November.
A maximum of one additional delegate per registration is permitted at an additional cost of $800 AUD (including GST) (includes attendance at the workshop and gala dinner).
The package is taken as is, with no pro-rata discount if an element of the event program is not undertaken by you.
The participation package excludes the following:
- Meals and beverages not outlined in the program
- Accommodation
- Access to equipment such as Internet, email, printers, scanners, photocopiers, stationery etc.
- Transport to/from the event locations
- Travel insurance
- Other personal incidentals.
NSW tourism suppliers will be required to make payment of their participation costs via credit card at the time of acceptance of participation in the event.
Please note the key dates and deadlines outlined below:
Milestone | Date |
---|---|
Seller applications open | 8 August 2024 |
Seller applications close | 23 August 2024 |
Seller acceptance to participate advised | 27 August 2024 |
Confirmation of participation and payment required | 6 September 2024 |
Cancellation fees applicable | 4 October 2024 |
Adherence to these deadlines will assist you in planning your participation in the event.
10-13 November
Buyers will be in smaller groups for a pre-familiarisation program across Sydney and regional NSW.
14 November
Full day B2B workshop at Manly Pacific Hotel: NSW tourism suppliers will meet with buyers in one-on-one table-top appointments.
Gala dinner at the Manly Pavilion: An opportunity to network with all buyers in a more laid-back setting.
15 November
Full day B2B workshop at Manly Pacific Hotel: NSW tourism suppliers will meet with buyers in one-on-one table-top appointments.
16-20 November
Buyers will be in smaller groups for a post-familiarisation program across Sydney and regional NSW.
Travel and accommodation costs are at the own expense of NSW sellers.
For NSW sellers who plan to stay in Manly for the duration of the program at their own cost, DNSW has negotiated a discounted rate of 10% off the best available daily rate with the Manly Pacific Hotel. To book please contact reservations on h5462@accor.com or call +61 2 9977 7666 and quote DNSW131116 . Please note that no rooms are being held.
Focus on North Asia 2024 includes two four-day NSW familiarisation programs. Where possible, preference for inclusion in the NSW familiarisation program will be given to NSW tourism suppliers participating in the event. NSW tourism suppliers will be requested to offer free-of-charge or discounted industry rates to Destination NSW to be included in the familiarisation program.
The final familiarisation itinerary and NSW tourism product inclusions will be at the discretion of Destination NSW.
All participants are responsible for personal travel/accommodation, health insurance, public and product liability insurance, workers compensation and property insurance coverage for the duration of the event.
Destination NSW does not accept responsibility or liability for any loss suffered by participants; does not provide or arrange any insurance for or on behalf of participants; and does not provide any indemnity for loss or injury suffered by participants.
Buyer participants will receive a Directory of Sellers. This directory will be distributed to all attending buyers and will contain participating tourism suppliers’ product information. The directory serves as a reference tool for buyers after the event.
Delegate contact details, a company logo, one product image and a company biography will be included for each tourism supplier. You will be required to upload your company logo, one product image (hi res .jpg or .eps file format) and a 250-word biography at the time of confirming your acceptance of participation.
It is suggested that all materials are delivered in digital format during or after the workshop. USB/memory keys are a common form of information distribution and are welcomed by the travel trade. We also recommend you bring 30 business cards.
The workshop venue will be themed with Destination NSW branding.
Each NSW tourism supplier will have a small table to theme. These items can include an iPad/tablet, small table-top brochure rack, tent card or laptop plus table decor. Please note pull-up banners are not permitted.
Destination NSW encourages NSW tourism suppliers to consider sustainable alternatives to event collateral and giveaways.
NSW tourism suppliers are encouraged to donate prize vouchers and offer complimentary accommodation, tours, attractions so that the prize winners can experience your product.
Destination NSW will package all prizes into prize packs. All prize packs will be drawn at the dinner function on Thursday, 14 November 2024.
If you would like to donate a prize or prizes, please outline your offer during the acceptance process. You will also need to supply a voucher for your prizes prior to the dinner.
Please refer to the Focus on North Asia 2024 Event Terms and Conditions.
Buyer information
Between 55-60 key qualified travel buyers who play a crucial role in product development will be invited by the respective Destination NSW in-market teams to participate in the event. The attending buyers will have the opportunity to increase their destination knowledge and product awareness via one-on-one meetings as well as experiencing NSW products themselves on the familiarisation program in Sydney and regional NSW. For more information, contact trade.events@dnsw.com.au.
How to apply
Applications for Focus on North Asia 2024 have now closed. Please contact trade.events@dnsw.com.au for any questions regarding this event.
Contact us
For any questions relating to the event, please contact trade.events@dnsw.com.au.